How Children Cope With Peer Provocation - 1413 Words

This research investigated children s understanding of their research rights in the context of an analysis of how children cope with peer provocation (Hurley Underwood, 2002, p.1). One hundred and seventy-eight (178; 54% girls and 46% boys) children who were randomly selected from grades six, four and second with average ages of 12, 10 and 8 correspondingly participated in the study (Hurley Underwood, 2002, p.1). Subsequent to their agreement on how kids get long together, as well as after debriefing, the perceptions of the children’s permission/assent, their understanding of their research responsibilities, and consequences and their belief in deliberate involvement and willingness and choice to opt out of the†¦show more content†¦Critique of the Research In the vigorous challenge of the concept of whether children can freely assent in research participations Hurley and Underwood (2002, p.2) indicated that â€Å"children’s competence to assent relied too h eavily on comprehensive developmental theories such as Piaget’s, which imply that the capacity to assent increases and risk of harm decrease with age.† In any case, it is more difficult for children to give free and meaningful assent† when they did not truly understand the research concepts (2002, p.2). Moreover, the viability of the study depended on the creation of a situation that was ecologically valid in that it was provoking for children and required elements of deception (the other person being an actor and the game being rigged such that participants would not win) and some risk of emotional distress. Personally, I believe that the second graders might not have clearly understood their participation responsibilities and accountabilities, in spite of the definitions given to them in the research study and their capacity to understand to freely give and freely withdraw their assent before and during the research process. The researchers could have used pe er tutoring to enhance understanding of the seemingly abstract research concepts to include risks, and effective meaning of voluntary